Lountza
“Λούντζα (Lountza)”
Wine-cured, smoked pork loin, halloumi's classic partner
Lountza
Lountza is Cyprus's best-known cured meat: a pork loin that is salted, marinated in red wine, rolled in coriander seed and then smoked over aromatic wood. The result is a firm, dark, lightly smoky cured loin with the wine and coriander flavours that run through a lot of Cypriot pork cooking. It is closely tied to the Pitsilia area in the hills, where the cool climate suited the old curing and smoking traditions.
You meet lountza two ways. On a meze table it is sliced thin and served cold alongside other Cypriot charcuterie and cheeses. More often, visitors meet it grilled: a hot lountza-and-halloumi sandwich is one of the most common quick meals on the island, sold at village kiosks and bakeries. The salty cheese and the smoky, wine-cured pork are a natural pair, which is why the two are so often served together.
Where to try it
- Sliced cold on meze platters across Limassol, Larnaca and Nicosia.
- Grilled with halloumi in a sandwich at kiosks and bakeries.
- At mountain tavernas in and around the Troodos mountains, near its Pitsilia home.
The name comes from the Italian word for loin, a trace of the centuries when Genoese and Venetian merchants were active on the island. Lountza belongs to the same family of traditional Cypriot cured meats as hiromeri (a larger cured pork ham) and tsamarella (a sun-dried, salted goat product), all made to preserve meat through the year. Try it as part of a full meze rather than on its own, and pair it with a local wine from the Commandaria wine country southwest of Troodos.
Key ingredients
How to make Lountza
- 1
Trim a whole pork loin of excess fat and silverskin, then rub it all over generously with coarse salt. Place it in a non-reactive dish, cover, and refrigerate for 5 to 7 days, turning once a day, to draw out moisture and firm the meat.
- 2
Rinse off the salt under cold water and pat the loin dry with paper towels. Place it in a deep dish or bag and cover completely with red wine, then refrigerate for 2 to 3 days, turning daily so the wine penetrates evenly.
- 3
Lift the loin from the wine and pat it dry. Crush coriander seed coarsely in a mortar and press it firmly over the entire surface of the meat so it sticks in an even crust.
- 4
Tie the loin at intervals with kitchen string and hang it in a cool, airy, shaded spot for 1 to 2 days to dry and firm further before smoking.
- 5
Set up a smoker or a covered grill for cold smoking with a small bed of coals and a handful of damp aromatic wood, keeping the temperature low, well under 30C. Hang or lay the loin away from direct heat so it never cooks.
- 6
Smoke the loin over several sessions, replenishing the wood as it burns down, until the outside is deep mahogany brown and the meat feels firm throughout.
- 7
Hang the smoked loin in a cool, dry, airy place for another 3 to 5 days to finish curing and lose any remaining surface moisture.
- 8
Slice the lountza very thinly against the grain to serve cold as a meze, or pan fry thin slices briefly in a dry hot pan until lightly caught at the edges before serving warm.
A home-style reference method; every family and kitchen has its own version.
Photo gallery
Lountza questions
What is lountza made from?
+
How is lountza usually served?
+
Is lountza the same as bacon?
+
Where does lountza come from?
+
Explore Cyprus cuisine
From halloumi to souvla and slow-cooked kleftiko, the island's table runs deep. Browse every dish and find your next favourite.
All Cyprus dishes →